Estuarine Coastal Management Program

Estuarine Coastal Management Program

  • Focus: Moruya River, Mummaga Lake, and Wagonga Inlet
  • Status: Council adopted the program at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 25 October 2022. The Minister for Local Government certified the program in March 2023
  • Next step: Implement the program

Coastal management programs (CMPs):

  • are strategic plans that help to ensure we manage and develop our coast in a way that protects natural features and supports ongoing growth
  • identify coastal management issues and actions required to address these issues
  • are prepared in line with the Coastal Management Act 2016 and Coastal Management Manual.

Certification of our CMPs by the Minister for Local Government provides us with access to state funding so we can protect, manage, and maintain our coastal estuaries. Council has a CMP for:

  • Moruya River
  • Mummaga Lake
  • Wagonga Inlet
  • our open coast.

Stages of a coastal management program

We prepared our Estuarine Coastal Management Program in five stages:

Stage 1: Scoping study+

  • Prepare a scoping study to identify the key issues. The study will also help us to determine the range of technical assessments we need:

Stage 2: Technical investigation+

  • Carry out a technical investigation to identify current and future areas at risk from coastal hazards.
  • Once the Estuarine Coastal Management Program is certified, we'll investigate the areas at risk.

Stage 3: Community engagement+

  • Develop strategies to protect Eurobodalla's estuaries and maintain the values our community holds towards them.
  • Council held drop-in information sessions with the community. In late 2020, we also carried out an online survey to seek the community's ideas and feedback to help find solutions that best align with these values.
  • Engagement activities with our community have identified the key values are:
    • water quality
    • access to recreation and sporting activities
    • maintaining our estuaries' natural beauty.
  • Community input helped us shape the management actions in this program.

Stage 4: Public exhibition and certification+

  • The draft Estuarine Coastal Management Program was on public exhibition for 56 days from 5 November 2021 to 5 January 2022.
  • The community has an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft program during this stage; Council received 22 submissions.
  • Council amends the draft program to reflect stakeholder feedback.
  • Council adopts the final Estuarine Coastal Management Program at its Ordinary Meeting on 25 October 2022.
  • The NSW Minister for Local Government certifies the Estuarine Coastal Management Program in March 2023.

Stage 5: Implementation+

  • Council implements and monitors the Estuarine Coastal Management Program.

For more information, contact Council's Coastal Management Planner, Cameron Whiting: